2015 West Trip

During our stay in the Black Hills of South Dakota, our campsite was situated under several evergreen trees that had recently showered the ground with pinecones. Our kids were eager to scoop some up as souvenirs of our stay. So…

As we planned last spring for our three week Wild West adventure, developing an easy and simple meal plan was particularly important to me. We knew we were going to have many days of long travel and many more days…

Last year I saw a fun idea on Pinterest that I decided our family was going to embrace this camping season: rock collecting. Wait, wait. Before you roll your eyes and move on, this isn’t just rock collecting. It’s memories…

Our visit to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 2015 was our favorite stop along our Wild West adventure. The region is rich with natural wonders, man-made marvels, and roadside Americana. It’s a great place to bring the whole family–with enough…

Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton, Ind., seemed to be a popular destination for many families escaping city-life in nearby Chicago. The campground was nearly full both nights we stayed (a Thursday and Friday). Unfortunately we did not have the…

We were surrounded by corn fields as we drove down the road to the entrance of Lake Thompson Recreation Area, located just a few minutes from De Smet, S.D. What we discovered at the end of the road was a camping oasis…

Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, S.D., is a fantastic campground that is well-located for those eager to explore the Black Hills of South Dakota. Of all the places we visited on our 2015 West Trip, the Black Hills was by…

If you asked our kids what their favorite part about traveling is, they would not even hesitate before replying, “Camping and earning Junior Ranger badges!” We first discovered the National Park Service’s Junior Ranger program on our 2015 West trip when…

On our Wild West adventure we made it as far West as Yellowstone, but our camper only went as far as Cody, Wyo., where we base camped at the Ponderosa Campground. The Ponderosa Campground is situated in the middle of…